Chapter 159

Page Sixteen Old Acquaintance

Aunt Lin looked at the coffee beans in the grinder and then checked the coffee cans on the shelves. She turned back and asked, “Old Master Tuohai, do you mean that the blend I made isn’t as good as this little girl’s random pick? From what I understand… these two types of coffee beans mixed together might be quite acidic.”

The old gentleman with a hat cleared his throat and explained, “Cough! It’s probably because the taste is fresher and not as bitter as the one you make, Boss Lady.”

“Oh, so you also think my coffee is bitter?”

The old gentleman’s face darkened as he said in a profound manner, “Bitterness exists objectively; that’s the essence of coffee… and so does acidity.”

Aunt Lin continued, “These two kids are going to the commercial area afterward. When you go back, could you take them along?”

“Of course, no problem. My backseat is always reserved for beautiful ladies.”

This interesting old gentleman shifted his gaze from AJ to me.

He added, “And the lovely Little Lady.”

Looking closer, this old man seemed familiar. I felt like I had seen him somewhere before. Noticing my gaze, he said, “Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet… My name is Yuwen Tuohai, and I run a small bar in the underground street of the Balance Commercial District.”

AJ asked, “Bar in the underground shopping street? Which one? I might have been there.”

“Lost Moonlight.”

“Huh?!”

Before AJ could react, I remembered that this old man was once a famous music producer. He was the one who discovered Sister Miāomiāo, pushing her onto the stage and giving her the chance to perform. Although it was just a small concert held in a bar, it was the starting point of her second life.

Sister Miāomiāo was grateful for this opportunity.

When we were at Lost Moonlight, we didn’t cross paths, but the things he did for Sister Miāomiāo couldn’t help but earn respect.

He was an old acquaintance with a single encounter, but he probably doesn’t remember me anymore.

Even if he still remembers Chang Lingmeng, he wouldn’t recognize me, considering I’m now a harmless half-elf loli.

Drinking the remaining coffee in one gulp, Old Master Tuohai squinted and asked, “What’s the matter? Little Lady, why are you so surprised? Did you sneak into my bar without permission?”

“No, I’ve only heard of your reputation before.”

The old man was pleased and stroked his beard.

“Oh ho, even someone your age has heard of me?”

Moving his butt on the high stool, he turned to Old Master Tuohai.

I responded seriously, “Because I’m a fan of Sister Miāomiāo, and she thanked you in public. Though I don’t know what you look like, I’ve heard your name more than once.”

“You’re quite articulate for your age. Sister Miāomiāo has talent and works hard. Finding such a promising talent, anyone would pull them up, not just me. It’s the responsibility of a producer, even though I’m retired… Oh, Boss Lady, what do you call this?”

Aunt Lin made two cups of coffee using her own blend.

Besides Old Master Tuohai, AJ also got a cup.

“It’s a gift. There’s still some leftover beans the little girl picked, but the taste might not be right, so it can’t be sold to customers.”

Old Master Tuohai happily stroked his beard again and smiled, “Then I’ve gotten something out of this?”

Taking another sip, he clearly found it bitter, smacked his lips, and didn’t gulp it down like before.

Aunt Lin asked, “Do you two want curry or fried rice?”

“Curry,” we both answered in unison.

The unique aroma of curry spices was clearly more attractive than fried rice, and since the curry was outsourced, it was unlikely to be bitter.

“Since we’re waiting, I’ll have curry too.”

After finishing his coffee, the old gentleman took great interest in ordering a curry dish and then removed his top hat.

Though not bald, it reminded me of someone else…

“Grandpa Tuohai, can I call you that?”

Old people generally liked children, and Old Master Tuohai, being a playful old man, was no exception. He turned his head with a happy smile.

“Of course, but in exchange, can I know the name of the Little Lady?”

“My name is Moli Sha. This sister here is AJ.”

Introducing myself with a pseudonym, I also mentioned AJ’s name.

“This little girl’s name sounds strange. Is it some kind of code?”

“Oh, it’s an abbreviation, like a nickname.”

AJ scratched her head, unwilling to explain further. I continued, “I just wanted to know, do you have any brothers, Grandpa?”

“I have a younger brother…”

“So, Shopkeeper Shenyang is really your brother?”

Yuwen Shenyang, the Turtle Immortal Shopkeeper at Kamehameha Manga Cafe, looks very similar to the current Old Master Tuohai, so I recognized him immediately when he took off his hat… What a small world.

“Oh? Have you been to your younger brother’s shop?”

“I have a few friends… a couple of sisters also work part-time at that maid cafe, but they don’t serve female customers, so I’ve never been inside.”

Even if I went in, I couldn’t afford it, I thought to myself.

Grandpa Tuohai laughed, “Such an interesting Little Lady. I’ll tell him about it later.”

I decided to use this conversation to find out about Lin Ziyeh.

Since Old Master Tuohai knows Lin Yuhuang, he likely knows something.

“Grandpa Tuohai, why does Shopkeeper Shenyang open a maid cafe while you choose to run a bar?”

“Cafes and tea shops are different. Besides, his focus isn’t on coffee… Cough.”

It seems Old Master Tuohai also knows about the ‘inner area’ of that shop, which is the real reason they don’t serve women. But he can’t say such things in front of children, so he cleared his throat and said, “Ultimately, it’s just a matter of different interests. I think those things are superficial, and since young people like it, I won’t comment much.”

However, the underground shopping street is closely linked to the gray areas. Even Old Master Tuohai’s Lost Moonlight Bar can’t be considered completely clean. The previous major cleanup might have suppressed some underground industries, but they still exist.

“So, does the shopkeeper like maids?”

Old Master Tuohai squinted and said, “That’s a long story. My younger brother is a retired veteran of a foreign legion and now holds French citizenship. After retirement, he lived in Paris for a long time.”

No wonder he’s still so capable at his age. That’s the skill honed on the battlefield.

AJ interrupted, “Excuse me, what is a foreign legion?”

“Sigh, I didn’t explain well enough… This so-called foreign legion is a special unit composed of non-national soldiers. If not specified otherwise, it usually refers to the French Foreign Legion (FFL). The training is extremely rigorous, and although they recruit globally, only a few can pass the test and stay. Thus, their combat capabilities surpass those of regular French forces.”

Old Master Tuohai patted his forehead after saying this.

“Somehow, staying in such a tough unit for fifteen years, not only did my younger brother get French citizenship, but he also enjoyed the benefits of a retired officer. He lived in France for many years and rarely returned home.”

I asked, “But how does that relate to his liking for maids?”

“Because modern France basically doesn’t have traditional maids anymore.”

“What?!”

“To be precise, there haven’t been traditional maids since the French Revolution. Only part-time domestic workers remain, which disappointed my younger brother.”

What kind of maid does he want?

I hesitantly guessed, “Could it be… because he didn’t see any maids in France, he opened a maid cafe when he returned?”

To be accurate, it’s a tea shop, but the nature is the same.

Old Master Tuohai shook his beard and chuckled, “Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s how it is.”

“Even if it’s a maid cafe, the maids in the shop aren’t the traditional French maids he pursues. They’re just part-time high school girls wearing maid outfits.”

“Ah, that’s enough for him. After all, my younger brother was led astray by some far-eastern island nation on the path to pursuing maids.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.”

Old Master Tuohai was once known as a legendary producer, but the life of the Turtle Immortal Shopkeeper is equally full of legends… Akihabara sure does cause trouble!

I continued guiding the conversation, “As far as I know, there are several maid cafes in the Balance Commercial District. Does Shopkeeper Shenyang visit other cafes regularly?”

“That’s unclear. We’re all grown-ups, even if we’re brothers, we don’t meet every day… Risha, why do you ask?”

“In fact, A-sister and I are doing social research on cafes.”

“Oh? Are you planning to open a cafe too?”

I quickly explained, “No, it’s just a social practice assignment! I need to write a report comparing different cafes!”

Old Master Tuohai thoughtfully held his chin.

“Do recent elementary school students need to complete such complex assignments?”

Oh, am I being doubted?

— “Of course! Your tone doesn’t sound like a child. Be cuter! Speak in a more girlish way~” —

Don’t say impossible things…

Aunt Lin placed the dishes with curry, utensils, and borscht in front of us three.

She said, “These two girls have to go to the Balance Commercial District’s cafe in the afternoon, so I asked you to take them.”

“Mm, I saw online that there’s a new maid cafe on the fifth floor of the commercial district. Reviews are pretty good, so I plan to check it out this afternoon… with classmates.”

“Is today a field trip so you don’t have school?”

Old Master Tuohai was still concerned about my studies, but suddenly realized.

“Is the cafe called ‘Peach Cat’?”

Busy at the counter, Aunt Lin froze.

She looked up and asked, “Wait, isn’t that Lin Ziyeh’s shop?”